Sheryl Stewart

Want To Get To Work Faster?

by Sheryl Stewart,posted Mar 14 2011 1:20PM

I don't know if peppermint tea would have helped with that massive traffic jam this morning, but maybe I would have been less stressed about it. It's worth a try, I guess. From Men's Health Magazine, 4 tips to help you get to work on time (or early)

Try these easy tips to shave a couple minutes off your morning routine:

Put your bedroom lamp on a timer
Set the light that is closest to your bed so it turns on when the alarm buzzes. When your eye detects an increased level of light, a signal is sent to the brain’s pinal gland. The gland then triggers serotonin, helping you to awaken.

Don’t hit the snooze button
While it might be more satisfying to hit snooze and doze back off, there’s no use wasting those extra minutes. The short amount of time between snooze alarms isn’t enough time to for you to fall into REM sleep—the kind of sleep that actually helps you feel rested, Gerard T. Lombardo, M.D., director of the Sleep Disorders Center at New York Methodist Hospital, told Men’s Health. It just makes you more drowsy.

Drink peppermint tea on your way to work
Peppermint tea has about half the caffeine as coffee and has been shown to improve concentration and performance. The scent of peppermint also makes drivers more alert and less anxious, according to a Wheeling Jesuit University study.

Buy a parking pass
The average commuter loses the equivalent of more than 6 days a year circling streets and spots looking for parking, a British poll found. Instead of wasting that time, shell out a few bucks to secure a spot in a lot near your company.